The Fiercest Feuds in Fashion History

As a revered designer with an enduring legacy in the French fashion world, Coco Chanel has had quite a few memorable feuds over the years, which we’ll get into later. But there’s no denying that her biggest rival was perhaps Elsa Schiaparelli. In the 1930s, they were two of the most prominent names in the fashion industry. Yet, Chanel refused to publicly acknowledge Schiaparelli's undeniable influence; she even referred to the latter as “that Italian artist who makes clothes.” In turn, Schiaparelli also called Chanel a “hat maker,” alluding to the designer's humble beginnings as a milliner in 1910. 

However, their feud escalated from mere witty banter when Chanel “accidentally” pushed Schiaparelli into a candle arrangement at a costume ball. While Schiaparelli didn’t sustain any injuries from the fire, it certainly made their rivalry one to remember. 

It seems difficult to imagine that two of the most iconic figures in French fashion, not to mention the fashion world alone, would be in such fierce competition. After all, they each had something entirely different to offer. So why should it matter to either of them? 

It surely mattered to Coco Chanel, especially given her dedication to minimalism and elegance, which starkly contrasted with Christian Dior’s penchant for extravagance and decadence. At one point, as the fashion world praised Dior, Chanel said he “doesn’t dress women. He upholsters them.” In response, Dior noted on a different occasion that his work was “dedicated to the beauty of the female body.” Their professional rivalry is addressed in the Apple TV+ series The New Look which focuses on the designers as they 

It’s fairly obvious that Coco Chanel did not shy away from criticizing her contemporaries, especially when she had already established herself in the fashion industry. But the difference between her feuds with the abovementioned and Cristóbal Balenciaga was that she and the latter actually started as friends. That was until Coco criticized Cristóbal’s designs in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, where she questioned Cristóbal’s credibility in creating women’s clothes when he didn’t know anything about a woman’s body. Other than that, not much is known about their rivalry, given that Cristóbal was an extremely private person. But, it seemed their feud was not too deep after all when Cristóbal attended Coco’s funeral. 

In a 2015 interview with the Sunday Times Magazine, Giorgio Armani alleged that the late Gianni Versace once made a misogynistic comment to him regarding their clientele and said, “I dress sluts. You dress church ladies.” Later, Donatella Versace commented on her late brother’s behalf and said she found Armani’s comments “rude and tasteless, especially because he is sadly no longer with us to reply.” “When my brother spoke about fashion, the only word that ever came from his mouth was ‘glamour,’” she added. 

Just like Coco Chanel, Giorgio Armani is not afraid to criticize his counterparts, and among those that he critiqued are fellow Italian luxury designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Their feud dates back to 2009 when Armani alleged that Dolce & Gabbana “copied” trousers from a recent Armani collection. Later, Dolce & Gabbana issued a statement and said that they could not have plagiarized Armani’s trousers because it has been “years since we have bothered to watch his collections” (per Vogue). 

Many might know Tom Ford for his eponymous luxury fashion house that he founded in 2005. But before that, Ford also served as creative director of Yves Saint Laurent for five years. Yet, years after Ford left the Maison to start his own brand, he revealed in an interview with CNBC that his time with YSL was not exactly pleasant: “I have letters from Yves Saint Laurent [...] I remember one line: 'in thirteen minutes, you’ve destroyed 40 years of my work,” said Ford. 

The YSL and Christian Louboutin feud was not between the designers themselves, but rather a trademark infringement. While not everyone might be familiar with Christian Louboutin’s footwear, they have likely heard of someone referring to the brand as “red bottoms” for its signature red outsole. But in 2011, Louboutin sued YSL for trademark infringement after the latter launched a collection of monochrome shoes, which included one in red. Ultimately, YSL won the lawsuit after the court ruled that although red bottoms were an undeniable Louboutin signature, it could not dispute the color in and of itself, especially since the entire shoe YSL launched was red. 

Lagerfeld and Saint Laurent’s rivalry was perhaps one of the most longstanding feuds in fashion history. And while they continually jabbed each other for decades, their drama actually dates all the way back to 1953 when the two were up for a Woolmark Prize. Yves’ win marked the beginning of their fierce rivalry. Eventually, Yves Saint Laurent began making his mark in French fashion and later even worked alongside Christian Dior himself when he was only 21. Meanwhile, Lagerfeld worked behind the scenes, initially working with Fendi and later beginning his long tenure with Chloé. 

While their competition was initially professional, their feud became personal when the two fought over the affections of a man named Jacques de Bascher. Nonetheless, they were always destined for iconic status in the fashion world, with both founding their namesake houses. 

Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks are among the most iconic supermodels of the 90s, and both are credited for paving the way for Black representation in the modeling world. Yet, despite their rightful success, the two had a feud, which started when they were often compared to one another. According to Banks, Campbell didn’t welcome her into the industry, even once noting that “You’ll never be me” when the two crossed paths at a show. On a different occasion, Campbell allegedly wasn’t pleased with Banks’ presence at a photo shoot, so much so that Banks was asked to leave. 

Years later, Banks confronted Campbell about these allegations on The Tyra Banks Show in 2005. So for a while, it seemed that the two had worked out their differences – they have even been photographed together at several events. But, in 2020, Campbell shared an article published by The Things, entitled, "Here's Why Fans Are Starting To Think Tyra Banks Is The Real Mean Girl, Not Naomi Campbell." So since then, it seems that the two's rivalry is back on. Will the supermodels ever reconcile? One could only hope. 

Adidas may be known for its signature three-stripes logo, which it has used in most designs since the 1950s. However, Thom Browne, a luxury fashion brand, also claims some fame for its varsity-stripe motif, the Grosgrain Signature. While Adidas reached out to Thom Browne regarding concerns about the similarities, the two brands could not reach a settlement for trademark infringement. So, Adidas sued Thom Browne, alleging that the latter imitated its signature branding. Ultimately, Thom Browne won the case, as its legal defense argued that “Adidas does not own stripes,” according to The Guardian.